In the states, you can find Ensoniqs for cheaper. Use craigslist, though, they're heavy as all get-out, and they'll be much cheaper on CL. If you want to go really cheap, buy an ESQ-1, which is exactly the same as an SQ-80, but no disk drive and less patch storage. Easy find for $100-150 on CL in the states. Maybe not in other countries, though, as I think Ensoniq is a US-based company.

Walter Ego

seamonkey wrote:I nominate this for STUPIDEST THREAD ever in the history of the internez.

Ashe37 wrote:SQ-1 is a different beast, its more like half of a VFX. If you really want a poor man's PPG Wave, the VFX/ VFX-SD/SD-1/SQ series has scannable wavetables, the ESQ-1/SQ-80 and DW-8000 do not.

(And the Kawai K3 has SEM filters like the PPG)

But of course the VFX (and TI?) series all lack resonant analog filters... Waldorf was the only company to really ever really combine the two, unfortunately.

You can use slightly clever LFO>Amplitude tricks to create wavetable-like scanning on the earlier Ensoniqs, but it's not really the same.

The K3 seems smoothest, but underwhelming... certainly not a very big sound.

The DW8000 seems to sound pretty lush and "analog"... meaning it seems to approximate bigger polys pretty well... but also adds a tad of weird digital underneath. Sounds like a shrunken-down, muffled PPG... like WAY less impact or weight... but similar. The arpeggiator sounds great. I kinda wish the DW wasn't c**p plastic with a typical keybed, otherwise I'd like to snag one to have as my hybrid and arpeggiator master keyboard.

The ESQ-1/SQ-80 seems to be the most unique of the bunch. Seems like it's own thing... can do the PPG thing a little better than the DW and seems to have more unique features. Build quality of the original metal ones seem really nice. People say it makes a nice master keyboard. Too bad it doesn't have a decent arpeggiator instead of it's maligned sequencer.

laserboy wrote:is craigslist trustful? and which area should i check there? im not familar with the website

and ist the ESQ -1 really the same except Disk and patch save?in that Case i would think about to get a Esq1

CL is just an online classified ad site. It's as trustworthy as people are. Just use common sense. There's not a ton of scamming going on in the lesser-known, lesser-sought-after synth world on craigslist--the target net isn't wide enough. Still, you should be careful.

I used to own a DW8000. I love that synth. Once you get past the crap-tastic plastic chassis and junky clunky keyboard, you will begin to fall in love with the lush "analog" like sounds. The one thing that sets the DW apart from the rest, to me, is the DELAY. Holy moses. One of the coolest, easiest to use, and useful delays I have ever come across. I wish Korg would release that delay as a pedal or module, I would be the first to pre order. Anyway... Especially good for pads, strings, and brass ensemble type patches, okay for leads and basses but that's when its digital nature really starts to make itself known. Maybe you don't mind the digital sound (aliasing on lower notes and grainy wave samples on higher notes), but it bothered me a little bit. It's also great for doing weird BOC type soundscapes, thanks to the onboard delay which can also act as chorus or phaser. DW is an all around great synth for the money.